Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How to get started with DJing

medium.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 71 posts

Re: How to get started with DJing

#31

Post by celdon25 »

empath75 wrote: post #24

Okay, so I was a rave DJ in the early 2000s and opened for some of the most popular DJ's in the world at sold out clubs and I'm about to give some real advice. Yes, all of this stuff about producing music is important, but people who can mix records are a dime a dozen. You need to be able to do it, but it's not enough to get gigs. The way you get gigs is to be popular. You need to go clubbing every weekend. You need…

It's common knowledge IMHO that you generally need to market yourself to get gigs. There's often lack of understanding of how to become a good marketer though.

Simply getting a checklist of things to do isn't enough. Understanding the science behind influencing others goes a lot further than sticking to a checklist without the understanding of why those things are on the list to begin with.

I'd even argue that spamming social media doesn't even work anymore. Use the time to build relationships and do favors for others, and many will help you out in turn.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#33

Post by ovao »

dpc59 wrote: post #2

I'm going to seem like an elitist prick, but in my opinion DJing is absolutely useless if you don't produce/compose. Basic 2 decks DJing is fucking boring, learn how to play instruments and all the theory behind pop music, then figure out the software and hardware to play live sets. Obviously you're going to need to understand the basics of mixing to play live sets, but playing a regular DJ set in front of an audienc…

I'm having a hard time understanding where this comment is coming from. I can understand if your exposure to DJs has been limited (I'm sure we've all seen performers who are just about useless at truly engaging crowds), but there are some who are genuine performers behind the decks. Not just from the perspective of technical proficiency, but also of artistry.

I'll argue that the actual instrument doesn't matter. A mixer and a pair of turntables (or CDJs, or a laptop) can, in an artist's hands, produce as engaging an experience as a "live" setup.

The comparison between DJing and covering Stairway is very misguided, in my opinion, because it implies that the former is as inherently devoid of artistry as the latter. That's simply not the case.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#34

Post by imaginology »

empath75 wrote: post #24

Okay, so I was a rave DJ in the early 2000s and opened for some of the most popular DJ's in the world at sold out clubs and I'm about to give some real advice. Yes, all of this stuff about producing music is important, but people who can mix records are a dime a dozen. You need to be able to do it, but it's not enough to get gigs. The way you get gigs is to be popular. You need to go clubbing every weekend. You need…

> Alternatively, you can spend 10 years in your bedroom learning how to be a really good music producer and hope some popular DJ signs your single and then gradually build a following and then maybe in five more years you might make what a junior sysadmin makes.

Or you could become a junior sysadmin right from the start and treat music production as a hobby with no intention of turning it into a career. Although, I have a feeling many young people wouldn't listen to advice like that.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#35

Post by nnd »

philfrasty wrote: post #12

Couple of weeks ago I randomly came across a building here in Munich that looked absolutely spectacular. It's shell looked like it was made out of very small cubes and millions of them. Looked at the doorsign...turns out it is the HQ of Algoriddm, the company that makes Djay Pro (recommended by the author) :) EDIT: would love to see a „How to get started with music production“. Just started using Logic Pro and with a…

I've also recently started with Logic. My advice would be: don't worry about all the details of the software, it'll take a long time to master all the features. Learn the basics of it, and just start messing around with sounds to produce a complete song. Don't worry about technicalities, just finish. It's more important what you have to say with music, than how you say it.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#36

Post by btown »

doublerebel wrote: post #5

* Love good music. If you don't love or don't have good music, blending songs together will never sound good. * Try out Xwax or Mixxx (based on xwax) for free. They are open-source. You don't really need all the other distractions of modern systems to play good music. All that comes later when you run out of things to do with good music. Any easy effects will sound canned to the slightest trained ear. * Harmonic mixi…

One thing that can help with harmonic mixing is, when you have a 2-3 song combination that truly makes sense and is a crowd-pleaser, prerender it as a mashup. Then you can audit ahead of time for train wrecks, and mix the final product in (harmonically or non-harmonically) with only a couple measures or beats of overlap. Not to mention that this can build a lot more hype as an individual release. Producers like 3LAU and The White Panda use this strategy to great effect.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#37

Post by Ace17 »

aidos wrote: post #8
dpc59 wrote: post #2

I'm going to seem like an elitist prick, but in my opinion DJing is absolutely useless if you don't produce/compose. Basic 2 decks DJing is fucking boring, learn how to play instruments and all the theory behind pop music, then figure out the software and hardware to play live sets. Obviously you're going to need to understand the basics of mixing to play live sets, but playing a regular DJ set in front of an audienc…

Yeah, that is really elitist. And it's just your opinion, so you're allowed to hold it :) A good DJ can make the difference between a mediocre party and a really amazing party. I agree that the more tools in your arsenal, the better you'll be but don't brush off what can be achieved with 2 turntables and a really good knowledge of music.

> A good DJ can make the difference between a mediocre party and a really amazing party.

I hear this a lot. However, this sounds like rationalization of DJing competences. Are there ways to check such a statement?

Re: How to get started with DJing

#39

Post by Thrillington »

doublerebel wrote: post #6
doublerebel wrote: post #5

* Love good music. If you don't love or don't have good music, blending songs together will never sound good. * Try out Xwax or Mixxx (based on xwax) for free. They are open-source. You don't really need all the other distractions of modern systems to play good music. All that comes later when you run out of things to do with good music. Any easy effects will sound canned to the slightest trained ear. * Harmonic mixi…

Addendum: If you perform using Spotify this is technically illegal, however most artists I know find it more important to share their music than to buy it every time. So if you're not buying the music please help people discover what it is so they can buy it if they love it.

I'm not an expert here, so I would invite contrary interpretations. I know you can't setup speakers outside and play Spotify, but it should be legal in a venue that pays ASCAP. When I worked for a radio station in the early zeds we were told many times that their ASCAP license allowed us to play music regardless of the source, so ASCAP should supercede the Spotify prohibition on public performance.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#40

Post by kakoni »

jdietrich wrote: post #9
dpc59 wrote: post #2

I'm going to seem like an elitist prick, but in my opinion DJing is absolutely useless if you don't produce/compose. Basic 2 decks DJing is fucking boring, learn how to play instruments and all the theory behind pop music, then figure out the software and hardware to play live sets. Obviously you're going to need to understand the basics of mixing to play live sets, but playing a regular DJ set in front of an audienc…

>I'm going to seem like an elitist prick, but in my opinion DJing is absolutely useless if you don't produce/compose. Basic 2 decks DJing is fucking boring Exhibit A for the defence: this utterly masterful set by garage legend DJ EZ. He deftly plays with the build and release of tension without relying on formulaic drops. There is still enormous creative mileage in traditional two-deck mixing. https://www.youtube.com…

Here's another wizard at work, Jeff Mills doing his thing with 3 turntables and a mixer. Absolutely brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtw2-kL32YM

Post reply on HN